Different Horizons-A Paw Patrol Story

Chapter Fifteen

"Harold and The Copycat are here?" Chase asked. "How?"

"The tunnels we went through must've not been at random," Ryder hypothesized.

"What are you talking about, Ryder?" Marshall asked.

"As we went from our reality to this one, I noticed we went through a tunnel. Maybe Harold and the Copycat did the same."

Chase looked at the newspaper when he noticed something. "Look at the date, May 27th, 2023." He turned to the nearest passerby. "Excuse me, what's the date?"

"It's July 29th," the passerby, a woman with black hair and a red dress, said.

Ryder and the others looked at each other. "So, two months since this happened, I guess?" Ryder asked as he held up the newspaper.

The woman took a closer look at the newspaper. She looked at them confusingly. "Are you not from around here? This article happened a year ago."

"But you said it's July 29th," Marshall stated.

"Yes," the woman replied. "July 29th, 2024." As she noticed the confused looks on the Paw Patrol, she backed up. "I'm sorry, but I better get going." The woman quickly walked away.

The Paw Patrol looked at each other. "So, Harold and The Copycat got here a year ago?"

"At the very least," Ryder replied. "Who knows how long they've been here before that."

"How is that possible?" Zuma asked. "They fell into the portals seconds before us."

"I guess that when they passed through the tunnel, it took them to the same place as us, but at different points. That's why the machine was so unstable. It knew where to take the things, just not when."

"But Harold and the Copycat are still here in this reality," Chase reminded. "They can't be here on good terms if they took over a city."

"You're probably right, Chase," Ryder said. "We need to stop them."

"How do you plan on doing that, Ryder?" Rocky asked. "We don't have our powers anymore."

"We'll find a way," Ryder replied. "We always do. We're the Paw Patrol. It's what we do." The others nodded in agreement. Ryder was going to say something when someone bumped into him.

"Sorry," the man said as he walked by. He turned around and kept walking without saying another word.

"That was strange," Zuma said.

"Yeah," Chase agreed. "Ryder, did you have anything in your pocket?"

"Only my pup pad on my left side," Ryder said as he reached into his pocket. Instead of pulling out his pup pad, Ryder pulled out a blue iPhone Eleven. "Huh, I guess it's a phone now?" He was confused as to why that changed as well.

"And your other pocket?" Marshall asked.

"I had my wallet," Ryder replied. He patted his pocket, but he didn't feel his wallet. Ryder checked his other pocket, but he couldn't find it. "He must've snatched my wallet."

Everest turned and saw the man walking further ahead. "There he is," she pointed out. The man ran into an alley. Ryder and the others ran after him. When they reached the ally, they found the man staring at them.

The man had black hair, tan skin, and brown eyes. He had a short beard and mustache covering half his face. He was well-built, wearing a mariner blue tuxedo, a white button-down shirt, and a light grey tie. His tuxedo did not give the impression of someone who spends their time in alleyways, so the Paw Patrol knew something else was happening.

"Sorry for taking your wallet," he said as he tossed it back to Ryder. "As you can see, everything is still in there. I just needed a way for you to follow me."

"Why didn't you just say that as you passed us?" Ryder asked.

"You know what? You're right," the man said sarcastically. "I should've just told you to follow someone you don't know into a dark alley. That always seems to work."

"Okay, I get it," Ryder said. "Who are you?"

"I'm just someone who wants the same thing as you. Harold and the Copycat have to lose control of that city. I sense you and your team are connected to them somehow. My name is Gabriel. Now, how about your names?"

Ryder figured that they could trust him. Either way, they needed to find others willing to help them. "Um, well, my name is Ryder," he said. "The others are named Chase, Skye, Everest, Marshall, Rubble, Rocky, and Zuma."

"Some of you have odd names," Gabriel admitted. "But anyway, nice to meet you all." He walked around the team and got back on the sidewalk. "Meet me at my place at sunset. Until then, enjoy the city. Have fun."

"You never told us where you live," Chase responded.

Gabriel pointed at Ryder. "Check your wallet. You'll find my card in there." A black 2017 Maserati Quattroporte pulled up next to Gabriel, and he got into the back seat. Gabriel rolled down his window and looked at Ryder. "Before I forget, I left a gift for you guys there. See you in a couple hours." Gabriel rolled up his window as the car drove off.

Ryder checked his wallet. He found a black card with white writing on it. It said Gabriel M. - 2019 North Moreno Drive - entry code: Fighting Chance.

Ryder checked his wallet and noticed that Gabriel left thirteen hundred-dollar bills there. "Wow," Ryder said.

"Ryder, what do you think?" Chase asked. "Can we trust him?"

Ryder looked at the card. "I'm not sure, but we have to try. We're going to need all the help we can get."

"Well, we have about three hours left before sundown," Marshall said, looking at a clock across the street. "What should we do until then?"

Ryder looked around. He noticed a large sign that read ADVENTURE MALL. "Let's go walk around for a bit."